There were plenty of notifications, including Glandis's Affection Level rising to Friend and Ralph's rising to Acquaintance.
"Lord Glandis? Isn't she the widow of the former Grand Lord of the Northern Frontier, the one whose husband was killed by Usok?" Bai Xiaowen was taken aback. "What does me taking out Elliott have to do with her... Well, fine, I was technically opposing her. But even General Arinas hasn't said anything—why is a little widow like you making such a fuss? Going straight to hatred, too. Women really are petty."
"Maybe this little widow had something going on with Elliott." Bai Xiaowen made that irresponsible connection for a second.
"Alright, time to open the chest."
This battle's Battle Rating was not high. It was only a C Tier, barely passing, and he had only one draw.
Moreover, the Shield Armor Warrior who had died such a miserable death had not left Bai Xiaowen so much as a hair, let alone a treasure chest.
"The combined strength of those two was two or three times mine, and I killed them without taking a scratch. Shouldn't that at least earn me an A Tier?" Bai Xiaowen raised a middle finger at the sky. "Is the rating system broken?"
After venting a little of his frustration, Bai Xiaowen had more or less figured out some of the rating system's rules. Besides calculating the strength of both sides, it seemed to favor brutal, knife-in-and-blood-out brawls. It did not approve of Bai Xiaowen's method of killing enemies that had basically been like shooting fixed targets, so his rating was low.
"This scoring method is clearly discriminating against intellectual workers." Bai Xiaowen opened the treasure chest of Elliott, the Empire's envoy.
As expected of a Baron, Elliott's treasure chest lived up to his status. A full twelve ornate bright-silver cards glittered with silvery-white light, looking expensive and impressive.
The annoying part was that he could only draw once. Fortunately, there was no chance of drawing nothing.
Bai Xiaowen rubbed his hands together and silently prayed, Brother Chun, bless me, before selecting one of the Loot Cards.
The other cards dissolved into light, while the chosen card flipped over.
"You have obtained an item: Marked Panties."
Bai Xiaowen froze.
Amid a soft glow, a pair of white women's panties drifted down into Bai Xiaowen's hands.
"You panty-obsessed freak!"
Bai Xiaowen kicked the hedgehog-haired Elliott, then unfolded the white panties and tried to identify the Latin words written on them.
There naturally was not much that could be written on a pair of women's panties. In fact, there was only one sentence:
"My heart will go on, Goliya."
"Gasp... It can't just be someone with the same name, can it?" Bai Xiaowen felt a chill run through him. Goliya, that Question-Mark Tier BOSS, had something going on with Elliott? Are Glandis and Goliya family? Their surnames are both Ge, after all. So the question is, are Glandis and Goliya mother and daughter, or sisters?
"Elliott, you damned winner in life, good thing you died!"
Those messy thoughts occupied Bai Xiaowen's mind for 0.1 seconds before he returned to normal.
"I should go back and find Ralph and see if I can make up some of my losses with that female Elf... Hmm, the battle should be over by now. I should head to the meeting point and rendezvous with Ralph and the others."
After thinking it over, Bai Xiaowen knew that Ralph and the other man could not possibly have stayed in the camp to fight the female Elf to the death. The target was already gone, so why risk their lives? If Elu City's guards came searching for them, both of them would be done for.
An hour later, Bai Xiaowen met the two burly Vikings at the agreed location.
Both men were injured, though Ralph's wounds were lighter. The good news was that neither man's injuries would hinder travel.
Loga took Bai Xiaowen's killing of Elliott and claim to the primary credit quite well. He gave Bai Xiaowen a thumbs-up and repeatedly said that if not for Brother Dio, the two of them would have brought shame upon Usok. Although Ralph looked somewhat dejected, he also sincerely congratulated Bai Xiaowen.
The three rode toward Spiked Helm City to report back. They did not encounter Elu City's guards along the way, and the journey passed without incident.
After a full day of riding, Bai Xiaowen finally saw the towering spires of Spiked Helm City's Lord's Manor amid the frost and snow.
"When can I meet Usok?"
Bai Xiaowen asked Ralph impatiently.
Ralph looked understanding. "Relax, Dio. I understand your excitement. Any Viking would find it hard to stay calm when about to meet our great leader. I already asked Grima, the steward of the Lord's Manor. It is currently the lord's lunchtime. Wait a little, and he will be able to see you soon."
As they spoke, a side door of the Lord's Manor's spired hall opened, and Steward Grima walked out.
"Ralph, Loga, Lord Usok commands you to bring the new brother to dine with him."
Both Ralph and Loga showed excited expressions.
"My God, dining with Lord Usok is an honor worth remembering for a lifetime," Loga murmured.
Ralph appeared relatively calm, but his slightly trembling hands still revealed his excitement.
The three followed Grima into the Lord's Manor's great hall. Bai Xiaowen secretly cast Insight on Grima. He was startled, because all he received was a name; everything else was question marks.
Another Question-Mark Tier BOSS. Even Usok's chief steward was this formidable. One could only imagine Usok's own strength—it was simply outrageous.
Bai Xiaowen also sensed the limitations of his Insight Talent. After summing it up, he concluded that he could currently only detect the strength of people below Level 3, including Level 3. Anyone far stronger than him showed up entirely as question marks, making them impossible to assess.
With that realization, when Bai Xiaowen saw Usok and the trusted officials dining with him in the Lord's Hall, he could not even be bothered to use Insight. They were all Question-Mark Tier anyway.
"Welcome, warriors of the Northern Frontier."
Usok sat in the lord's seat, wearing an ink-black cloak. He looked to be in his forties or fifties and carried an air of authority. Raising his wine cup to Bai Xiaowen and the other two, he said, "I see the scars upon you. They are the medals of warriors. Rest now. You are home."
"Great Usok, we have good news..." Ralph began telling Usok about the Assassination of the Empire's envoy.
Ralph did not claim credit for himself. He described Bai Xiaowen's achievements fairly truthfully.
While Ralph spoke, Bai Xiaowen carefully observed Usok and his officials—their appearances, clothing, and bearing—and secretly analyzed information about their personalities, professions, and more.
The banquet table in the Lord's Hall was divided into two rows, one on each side.
The row to Usok's left appeared to be filled with civil officials. The first man on the left was a pale middle-aged man draped in a black robe. What drew Bai Xiaowen's attention was the delicate wand resting beside him.
Clearly, this was Usok's chief mage.
The row on the right was mostly composed of burly Vikings. The first giant on Usok's right looked about as tall as Yao Ming from another world, but far more massively muscled, like a humanoid tank. Bai Xiaowen seriously suspected that if this man appeared on an NBA court, a tragedy would unfold—every day, the Robinsons he trampled to death could probably circle the globe.
This giant was named Tagot. All his other attributes were question marks.
Suddenly, Usok spoke. "Welcome, new brother. You fought bravely in White Stone Valley and are a true Viking warrior. Spiked Helm City is now your home. If you have any requests, speak freely. Grima will help arrange them for you."
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